America must rise to the occasion and remedy contemporary deficiencies with an unwavering patriotism that honors our democracy, Constitution, and freedoms.
The current issues that demand attention are police-community relations, compounded by our culture of violence and crisis of leadership.
These problems impact not only communities, corporations, agencies, schools, and families, but the very moral fabric of America.
Collaboration: Catalyst for Renewal
America must forge partnerships throughout every level of society as collaboration is critical for renewal.
On Tuesday, Oct. 4, this collaboration was evident with a unique conference that focused on ethical leadership, violence prevention, and building bridges of trust with police and communities.
The event titled “21st Century Policing: America’s Ethical Guardians” was held at the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute (BCLPSI) in Mahwah, New Jersey.
It was a collaboration of Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal, the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association (BCPCA),the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and BCLPSI in partnership with Vincent J. Bove Speaker Services and Resolution Group International (RGI).
Over 100 law enforcement rank and file officials attended the event from agencies throughout the region.
These included large agencies such as the NYPD, Port Authority Police Department, New York State Police, New Jersey State Police, BCSO, Jersey City Police Department, and United States Marshalls Service.
Smaller agencies also were represented, including the West Orange Police Department, Verona Police Department, Rutherford Police Department, Garfield Police Department, North Bergen Police Department, Emerson Police Department, Mansfield Police Department, Wyckoff Police Department, and Livingston Police Department.
The representation from local, city, county, state, and federal agencies represent the make-up of American policing nationwide.
21st Century Policing
As a member of the BCPCA for the past fifteen years, it was an honor for me to develop the program in collaboration with its president, Chief Frank Regino of Westwood, Sheriff Michael Saudino of the BCSO, and Chief Louis Ghione, (retired) from the North Arlington Police Department.
It was also a privilege to serve the event as one of the two featured speakers.
My presentation titled “21st Century Policing: America’s Ethical Guardians” used my signature metaphor of a train wreck caused by a head-on collision.
This metaphor dramatized the crisis of leadership and culture of violence throughout America.
During my presentation, highlighted with graphic slides, I also addressed America’s broken family crisis, the gang culture, substance and alcohol abuse, principles of visionary leadership, and current police-community controversies.
Numerous reports, including the “Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing,“ the ”Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department,“ and the ”Investigation of the Baltimore City Police Department,” were identified and summarized.
